The lumberjacks in northern Italy know how to keep warm. Centuries ago--even before salame was a widespread Italian tradition--the tree huggers of Udine along the Slovenian-Italian border needed a way to keep meat on their bones...and to keep their recently butchered harvest from spoiling.
In their cool cellars, they cured pork belly and back fat in garlic-marinated wine, salt, and whole black peppercorns. Both sides went into a cool smokehouse so the sweet smoke permeated the cured the slabs but didn't render the fat.
The lot was finely chopped and blended with crushed white onions to make a paste that could be packed into jars or rolled into logs. Kept cool and covered, the flavor-packed schmear would keep for months as the lumberjacks moved through the northern Italian forests.
To warm up from the inside out, those ancient foresters only had to toast a slab or two from their hearty loaf then spread on a thick layer of the sassaka. On top of hot toast, the "bacon butter" warms and begins to render for a stick-to-your-ribs starter layered with sweet, smoky, salty flavor.
Come into the Goose soon for your allotment of bacon butter! We've revived this traditional recipe with all-natural, pasture-raised Duroc pork from Gunthorp Farms in LaGrange, Indiana.
Prep at your table is simple. Squeeze the sassaka out of the its package and let it come to room temp, about 20 minutes. Cut slices of crusty bread--the Italians prefer rye--and slather on the bacon butter while the toast is still hot, red plaid flannel optional.
Any leftover sassaka can be kept tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge. If properly stored, it'll keep till New Year's. But with flavor like this, we wager there'll be a need for seconds before 2012, Mr. Bunyan.
In their cool cellars, they cured pork belly and back fat in garlic-marinated wine, salt, and whole black peppercorns. Both sides went into a cool smokehouse so the sweet smoke permeated the cured the slabs but didn't render the fat.
The lot was finely chopped and blended with crushed white onions to make a paste that could be packed into jars or rolled into logs. Kept cool and covered, the flavor-packed schmear would keep for months as the lumberjacks moved through the northern Italian forests.
Come into the Goose soon for your allotment of bacon butter! We've revived this traditional recipe with all-natural, pasture-raised Duroc pork from Gunthorp Farms in LaGrange, Indiana.
Prep at your table is simple. Squeeze the sassaka out of the its package and let it come to room temp, about 20 minutes. Cut slices of crusty bread--the Italians prefer rye--and slather on the bacon butter while the toast is still hot, red plaid flannel optional.
Any leftover sassaka can be kept tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge. If properly stored, it'll keep till New Year's. But with flavor like this, we wager there'll be a need for seconds before 2012, Mr. Bunyan.
Veal Porchetta? We haven't exactly settled on a name. Well, it's Indiana-raised, free-range veal shoulder from Strauss Farms that we butterflied and stuffed with oyster mushroom & herb sausage before rolling it up and tucking it in for a long, sweet nap in the smoker. We might call it Veal Porchetta, but we'll definitely call it delicious. Fully cooked, it's ready to heat and serve like a thick slice of meatloaf or between bread like...nothing we've ever had before.
Live crawfish are coming to the Goose this weekend!
Yes, she'll pretend to be thrilled with more hot pads, flower pots, and decoupaged ashtrays. But this year, give her a gift with good taste.
Overnight, the Goose's cellar grew! Stop by soon to check out our new wine rack that holds just some of the new labels we're always rotating through the ranks.
